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aww/nto@ 35M@ Patented Oct. 18, 1892,

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(No Model.)

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I PatentedOct. 18, 1892. I ,g--

Humm" l llll rig-i IINITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FOSTER DIOKEY, OF SOHUYLER, NEBRASKA, ASSIGNOR TO HIMSELF, HENRY O.WRIGHT, NATHAN W. VELLS, HENRY IV. NIEMAN, AND OHAUNOY ABBOTT, OF SAMEPLACE.

CAR-COUPLlNG.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 484,412, dated October18, 1892.

Application led February 18, 1892. Serial No. 422,052. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern: in ahorizontal position. Thelatter is notnec- Be it known that I, FOSTER DIGKEY, a citiessary, however, as theplate a might be cut zen of the United States, residing at Schuyler, oon the line 2, Fig. l, as described herein- OolfaX county, Nebraska,have invented cerafter.

5 tain new and useful Improvements in Oar- Instead of a dog, pivoted asshown in Fig. 5 5 Couplings, of which the following isa speoilil, theretaining device may be in the form of cation. a pin G', and the linkinstead of being made My invention relates to certain improveof roundbar-iron, as usual and as shown in ments in car-coupling devices fullyset forth Fig. 1, may be made of a iiattened plate Io hereinafter, andillustratedin the accompanypunched out, as shown in Figs. 4 and 5. 6oing drawings, in which- In connection with the abovedescribed Figure 1is a sectional view of sufficient of parts I make use of two rollers 34, which may a draw-head to illustrate one form in which be spheres, asillustrated in Figs. l to 4, or my improvement may be embodied. Fig. 2is they may be disks or cylinders, as illustrated I5 an end view ofFig. 1. Fig. 3 shows the drawin perspective in Fig. 6, and I form thedraw- 65 head as secured to a car-coupling. Fig. 4 head with an inclinedbearing-face w, upon illustrates the invention in connection with awhich the spheres roll toward the retaining coupling-pin. Fig. 5 showsanother form of device. link, and Fig. 6 another form of rolls. Theobject of the spheres or rollers 3 4 is to zo The draw-head A may be ofany suitable hold the retaining device in its upward posi- 7o materialand any suitable form or construction when the link must be withdrawn,so that tion. As shown, it is represented as being upon the introductionof another link or the made of cast metal of ordinary form and prosamelink a second time the spheres will be portions and with the usualopening or slot removed out of position and allow the retain- 25 at theend leading to the chamber X, in which ing device to drop to secure thelink. 75 the end of the link is locked to the pin or other It has beenproposed heretofore to use a sinretaining device. gle sphere for thepurpose of holding the re- In the construction shown in Figs. 1, 2, andtaining device in proper position; but this is 3 the link-retainingdevice is in the form of a objectionable because it necessitates either3o pivoted dog consisting of a plate a and a that the draw-bar shall bemade very deep, 8o tongue b, the plate having a rounded head or so as topermit the spheres to move almost end c, adapted to a socket' y, formedtransvertically upward after the link is introversely in the draw-head,so that the draft of duced, or else the inclined face w must be the linkshall force this head into the socket, placed so far back of theretaining device that 3 5 which willresist all the strain. This enablesit cannotbe depended upon to move the sphere 85 the dog to be secured bya transverse pin e, forward far enough to get beneath the retainagainstwhich no strain comes, so that the ing device and hold it in its upwardposition. said pin may be made of very light material. By the use of tworollers or spheres, one bear- The tongue b is of a shape to enter theing upon the other, as illustrated, the face lw 4o opening in the link Iand has a forward bevmay have a very moderate inclination and ex- 9oeled edge o, so that when the dog is in the intend back as far asdesired, so as to avoid inclined position shown in Fig. 1 and the linkcreasing the height of the draw-bar. At the is passed into the mouth itsend will strike same time, while the forward sphere would not theinclined side d of the tongue and lift the of itself certainly rollforward to apposition 45 dog until the end of the link passes beyondbeneath the retaining device, the rear sphere 95 the tongue, when thedog will fall to the po- 1s always bearlng upon the inclined face andsition shown in Fig. 1, with the tongue inside also upon the forwardsphere and forces itinthe opening of the link, retaining the latter,evitably to such a position as to move beneath so that it cannot bedrawn out while the plate the retaining device as soon as the latter isl" 5o o. bears upon the top of the link and holds it elevated.Further,when there are two spheres loo I avoid the chance of failing tosecure the retaining device in its elevated position, which is apt toresult when a single sphere is used, because in the use of a singlesphere jolts or jerks will be apt to throw it back and out of the way ofthe retaining device, while in the case of two spheres the jerkingmovements do not have such an effect and the pressure is always to forcethe inner sphere toward the retaining device. This permits me to extendthe level bottom surface of the chamber of the draw-head back to aconsiderable distance behind the retaining device to afford a liatbearing for the link to hold it in its horizontal position for engaginganother draw-head, and at the same time insures the forward movement ofthe retaining-sphere 3 whenever the retaining device is raised. One ofthe chief ad vantages of this construction is that while the forwardsphere or roller is necessarily limited in heightfor the purpose ofavoiding increase in the height of the draw-head itis possible to makethe rear roller very much larger in diameter, and thereby secure theheavy weight of the rear roller and the more certain action of the frontroller than would otherwise be possible.

When a sliding pin G is used for a retaining device, as shown in Fig.et, Iprefer to cut away one side to formy a notch s to receive thesurface of the retaining-roller, and in this case it is best to make thepin of angular iron, so that it will not turn in its socket. When theretaining device is in the form of a dog G, as shown in Figs. l to 3, itis desirable to have means for lifting the said device in order torelease the link. The most practicable means is in the form of achain K,which is connected to the dog, passes upward through an opening t, andis provided with a handle u, or otherwise so arranged that it may bedrawn upon to lift the dog. Instead of a chain a rod or bar may beemployed; or,.if desired, a handie-lever may be connected to 011e end ofthe bolt e, as shown at dotted lines s, Fig. 2, and

the bolt may be angular or fastened to the dog, so that by rocking thebolt by means of the handle S the dog may be lifted.

To avoid the necessity of the brakeman entering between the bumpers ofthe car for the purpose of raising the dog G, I prefer to carry thechain K back behind a guide-roll 6 to the end of a lever T, pivoted at mand having a curved face n, concentric with the said pivot, the saidchain being fastened at 7 to the end of the said curved face, so thatwhen the lever is swung down to the position shown in dotted lines, Fig.3, the chain will be laid upon the face fn, and the movements of thelever will have no eect in carrying the chain to one side or the otheraway from the line of the roller -that is, the draft upon the chain willat all times be vertical.

If the end of the dog.,r is cut 0E at the point 2, as before described,in this case, and also when the pin G is used, the roller 3, after thelink has been secured, will bear upon the link, and, together with theweight of the roller 4, will hold the link in position.

By the use of rollers or spheres I avoid the friction and wear incidentto sliding blocks, insure greater certainty of operation, and can reducethe extent of the inclination of the surface w.

Without limiting myself to the precise construction and arrangement ofparts shown and described, I claiml. A car-coupling provided with adevice for retaining the link with a roller 3 for holding said device inits elevated position anda roller 4 resting ou an inclined bearing andbearing on the roller 3, substantially as described.

2. The combination, in a car-coupling, of a draw-barhaving a retainingdevice for the link, an inclined bearing Ll/,stroller adapted to engageand hold up the retaining device when elevated, and a second rollerbearing on the first and on the bearing w, substantially as described.

3. The combination of the draw-head having an inclined face w and sockety, a dog with its head resting in said socket, and two rollers 3 4,substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

4. The combination of the draw-head, its face fw, and rollers 3 4, and adog G, having a tongue b, substantially as described.

5. The combination of the draw-bar, dog G, and lever T, having a facer?lconcentric with its pivot, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

FOSTER DICKEY.

Witnesses:

C. S. DRURY, ALLE N. DoBsoN.

IOO

